1.Mix together the
peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt until well combined and smooth. Add 2
cups confectioners sugar until well incorporated. Add another 1 – 2 cups
confectioners sugar just until the mixture rolls easily into balls and stays on
a toothpick. (I used 3 cups in the batch I made.)

2.Roll into balls
that are about 1 inch in diameter. Place on waxed paper on cookie sheets and
refrigerate for about 2 hours.

3.Melt the
chocolate chips and shortening in microwave, stirring every minute, until
completely melted and smooth. (My chocolate melted in 2 minutes, but all
microwaves vary.)

4.Pick up each ball
with a toothpick and dip into chocolate to cover 3/4 of the surface. Place Buckeyes
on waxed paper covered cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm. Keep
refrigerated. Will keep a week in an airtight container.

Good morning and ho-ho-ho! I’m
happy to announce that Release Day has finally arrived!

FOLLOWING HIS HEART is now
available for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBook, and in Paperback. This novel would
make a perfect holiday gift for the romance reader in your life (especially if
that reader is you). Here’s a bit about the book.

Sara Carson is a 30-something
widow with a busy life. Two fun-loving best friends, a caring mom who needs
her, and a thriving sweet shop. What more could a woman want? But when the
ancient plumbing in her shop springs a leak and a gorgeous, dark-eyed stranger
rushes to her rescue, hilarity unfolds—and Sara quickly sees exactly what she's
been missing.

Something most peculiar draws Landon Richards to Ocean City, Maryland—and to the lovely Sara. This woman touches his heart
like no other, and the two of them explore the heady attraction that pulses
between them. But haunting dreams have a way of encroaching on reality, and the
strange phenomenon that brings these two together will also threaten to tear
them apart.

This is the first book in the Ocean City Boardwalk Series, where life for three
enterprising women, Sara, Heather, and Cathy, isn't just fun in the sun—love is
waiting on those sandy shores!

It’s that time of year—the
hustle and bustle of shopping, those carols that have you humming, baking all
those delicious treats, wrapping gifts of all sizes, trimming the tree with
glittery lights and ornaments. Who doesn’t love Christmas?

To children all over the
world, this is a magical time. There are wish lists to be made and re-made. A
visit to sit on Santa’s lap is an absolute necessity. Every boy and girl hopes
and prays that they haven’t made The Naughty List.

As we get older, though, and
have children and grandchildren of our own, we realize just how right The
Grinch got it.

“It came without ribbons. It came without tags.

It came without packages, boxes, or bags.

The Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store.

Maybe Christmas, he thought, means a little bit more.”*

When we get a little life
experience under our belts, we understand that Christmas is all about love—ocean-deep,
unexplainable, unimaginably beautiful. This time of year reminds us who we are and
what we believe, and we’re also reminded that we should love one another and
respect each other.

If I could have anything
imaginable, I think I would ask for world peace, and an end to world hunger.
Tall orders, I know. But this IS a magical time of year.

For myself, I’d ask for one
more family reunion with all those loved ones who have passed: my brother, my
parents, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Wow, what a
wonderful party THAT would be.

If you could wish for
anything—anything at all—what would you ask for this Christmas?

My friend, author Jackie
Weger, has a brand new book available for your Kindle, and she’s offering it
for 99¢ (77p in the UK) for a very limited time. Have a look. Jackie spins fun and entertaining
tales!

Leah Spenser owns a decrepit
car, a budget that won’t stretch, and the moxie to make a decent life. She
lives in the present until one sun-drenched day, a past she has outrun imperils
her future and threatens all she holds dear. When her boss announces that
someone is embezzling company funds, history begins to repeat itself. Detective
Leo Garvey has her in his sights as the number one suspect and more. Leah knows
she must be careful, that nothing good could come from his attraction. Leo
doesn’t see it her way. Guilty or innocent, she is the one. Convincing Leah the
past can only be escaped by embracing something better seems to fall on deaf
ears. While Leo works to uncover the truth, Leah determines it will never
surface.

The first book in the series,
NO PERFECT SECRET, is value priced at $2.99 (£1.85 in the UK) and has over 110 reviews with a
4.5-star average. Wow!

A single secret begets a
layer of lies.

Anna Nesmith believes she has it all--a great marriage, a dream job and a home
of her own. When a State Department investigator begins asking questions,
Anna’s ordered world implodes. Frank Caburn is man to the bone and manufactures
testosterone like Frito Lay does chips. Instantly attracted to Anna, he is
determined to make her his own--if only she can pick through the emotional
rubble to find her bruised heart can love once again.

Sometimes, you just can’t improve
on a recipe. This Blueberry Buckle is moist and delicious. Perfect with a cup
of hot tea!

For the cake –

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

2 cups blueberries, fresh or
frozen

For the topping –

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup cold butter, cubed

1.Preheat oven 350º
F. Spray a 9 inch square pan with baking spray.

2.To make the cake,
cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix
thoroughly. Stir in the milk. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to
combine. Spread half the batter evenly into the bottom of the greased baking dish.
Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries evenly on top of the batter. Carefully
spread the remaining batter over the blueberries. Sprinkle the final 1/2 cup of
blueberries on top of the batter.

3.To make the
topping, place the sugar, flour, and cinnamon into a bowl and mix to combine.
Add the cubed butter and rub between fingers and thumbs until the topping
resembles crumbles. Sprinkle the topping over the cake.

4.Bake for 35-45
minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the
cake comes out clean. Cool before serving.